São Paulo – On June 15th and 16th, the city of Bethlehem, Palestine, will host the International Conference on Religious Tourism: Fostering Sustainable Socio-economic Development for Host Communities. The event is promoted in partnership by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
The goal is to discuss the main trends in the field, promote the establishment of partnerships between agents and debate how to develop the sector so it operates as a tool for an inclusive socio-economic development. Registrations for the event are open.
The city of Bethlehem is a traditional place of religious tourism in Palestine due to the fact that it hosts the Church of the Nativity, a place that is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus Christ, among other points considered sacred for followers of different religions.
According to the conference’s website, the event intends to gather authorities of the field and representatives of religious communities , private sector, universities and regional and international development organizations.
The conference will be organized around four main issues: global trends driving the religious tourism and the development of competitive products and experiences; challenges and opportunities for the development and promotion of religious tourism routes; innovative approaches for tourism management in religious places, conciliating the heritage preservation and touristic development; and the promotion of the participation of local communities and strengthening of the socio-economic benefits of the religious tourism in a domestic level.
The opening session will have as lecturers Mahmoud Abbas, presidente of Palestine; Rula Ma’ayah, minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Palestine, and Taleb Rifai, UNWTO’s secretary general.
Further information about the event is available at http://migre.me/q1ziR. Registrations are open until June 1st.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
